Football: Village side Ysceifiog Wolves face cup final against giants of Porthmadog

YSCEIFIOG Wolves face a real-life David v Goliath clash on Sunday as the under 13s village team travel to Rhyl’s Belle Vue ground to take on Porthmadog Juniors in the North Wales Coast FA Cup final (1.30pm).

YSCEIFIOG Wolves face a real-life David v Goliath clash on Sunday as the under 13s village team travel to Rhyl’s Belle Vue ground to take on Porthmadog Juniors in the North Wales Coast FA Cup final (1.30pm).

It is a tough task, made harder by the fact the Wolves must play a Clwyd League Cup quarter-final against Shotton Steel just 24 hours earlier.

But manager Andy Dowsett has faith his young charges can win the U13s NWCFA competition and possibly even become Welsh champions, booking themselves a Tesco Cup spot as Welsh representatives for finals weekend at West Brom’s Hawthorns stadium.

Last year Mostyn Dragons were Welsh champions and went to Bolton’s Reebok Stadium, where they finished runners-up among the best of England and Wales.

Ysceifiog hope to go one better and claim the title. The club does not have a wealth of players to draw on and recruits from outside the village due to the small number of people living there.

But Porth benefit from being a long way away from any English Premier League or Football League clubs, so talented players stay at the club.

Both teams are unbeaten this season and one of those records is about to tumble.

“I am confident in my lads,” said Dowsett. “They have been brilliant this season, scoring 140 goals in 16 league games and conceding only four.

“We don’t have a huge squad but we have built a reputation for doing things the right way. We have taken some lads on to give them a second chance after they were rejected or cut by bigger clubs in the county. We have a handful of lads from the village and there are now players who seek us out because they know we will help them improve.”

The Wolves’ exploits have not gone unnoticed, with League club scouts dispatched to run the rule over the squad.

“We get a lot of people coming down to have a look at our players,” said Dowsett. “It is nice that people recognise what we are doing. But if we can succeed and win this trophy it will be huge for the club.”

Despite the difference in size and resources between Porth and the Wolves, confidence is high as Dowsett expects his toughest test of the season.

“If you asked me the only side in North Wales at the moment in our age group who could beat us is Porth,” he said.